2 Thessalonians 2:9–12

The Church will be caught up to heaven. The Holy Spirit will then no longer have a house on earth. The results will be very serious and very immediate. The lawlessness now held down will burst out in the lawless one. For a brief moment Satan's working will have full scope. Satan will inspire this coming lawless man, and he will show Satan's energy in every detail. Notice how sweeping the expressions are. Satan will support him with ALL power, even to signs and wonders of falsehood.

These powers and signs will not be the trickery of some man-made priest, or the sham healings of men. They will be terribly real. They are called "lying wonders" because they will deceive men. So Satan's supernatural power will come with the lawless one. Men forget that spiritual beings exist — "angels that excel in strength." Satan is a fallen angel, but his powers are immense, far beyond the powers of man.

His doings are called "powers," because they are clearly beyond man. They are called "signs," because they carry meaning and teaching. They are called "wonders," because they are meant to attract attention and admiration. Among other marvels, he will be allowed to use the very miracle Elijah used on Mount Carmel. Elijah used it there to call Israel back to the Lord. Compare Revelation 13:13 with 1 Kings 18:24. This evil age is marked by unbelief in miracles. Even our Lord's miracles are doubted. How strange that it should end with a general and eager belief in them!

The Lord Jesus is the Son of God, and in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell. The man of sin, the son of perdition, is the enemy's terrible counterpart. The picture would not be complete without the dark addition of the unseen power of evil at work in him. The Holy Spirit gives it here in a few forceful words, and falsehood marks the whole thing: "in all power and signs and wonders of falsehood." These are the very terms Peter used of the Messiah, with the unquestionable contrast of grace and truth: "a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs" (Acts 2). How very solemn that this verse describes the anti-Messiah beforehand in such similar language!

So reject at once any pretended miracle or apparent work of power that supports what is not the truth of the word. I may be unable to explain it: that changes nothing; it is not of God. He can only give testimony to the truth.

Even miracles must not be taken as proof beyond question that those who perform them are sent by God. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 warns us about this. It supposes someone giving a sign or wonder that really came to pass, aiming to turn men away from their loyalty to the true God… So we must test miracles by where they lead before we accept them as tokens from God. And what keeps the soul safe? Paul's charge to the Ephesians in Acts 20:32: "I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."

The three things mentioned here — power and signs and wonders — are striking. They were the exact three things that proved the ministry of the Lord Jesus and His apostles when Christianity began. (See Acts 2:22; 6:8; Rom. 15:19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4.) What men saw in truth at the beginning they will see in falsehood at the end of the Christian age. We live at that end now. Anything claiming to revive these things should warn anyone who wants to be faithful to Christ.

His presence, too, is by the power of Satan. Just as Christ comes in truth of righteousness to those who are to be saved, so the man of sin comes in deceit of unrighteousness to those who are to be lost.

Who are the ones who perish here? They are all who had the truth presented to them, but did not care about it. The truth of God is found in the Bible, and everyone in the Christian world can reach it. If people neglect to read or search it, or refuse to hear it preached, they are, as Peter says, "willingly ignorant."

This is a very striking expression — "they did not receive the love of the truth." It is a word for the heart and conscience. It does not say, "because they did not claim to be Christians," or "because they did not take the sacrament." It does not say, "because they did not know the way of salvation." No, God searches the heart. Whatever knowledge they had, whatever profession they made, they had no love of the truth, that they might be saved… Notice, it is "the truth" — not people's opinions, but God's word… The message of His gospel is the ministry of God's perfect love. And the soul that receives this wonderful love of God in Christ His Son "receives the truth in love."

People will be deceived by the signs and lying wonders of that wicked one because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. It is the love of the truth that keeps a person from error — however persuasive it is, however fascinating, however strongly backed by the powerful evidence of "great signs and wonders." It is not cleverness, brain power, mental grasp or wide learning. All of these are powerless before Satan's tricks and schemes. The greatest human mind must fall an easy prey to the tricks of the serpent.

Those who fall prey to all this deceit of unrighteousness are exactly the people who did not love the truth when they heard it. Not loving the truth, they did not believe it. Instead they took pleasure in unrighteousness. Now the deceit of unrighteousness captures them. They believe the lie, and they all fall under the judgment of God. Once God sent them the truth… Now God sends them a strong delusion… Is God unrighteous in doing this? Far from it. He is acting in righteousness of the strictest and most exact kind.

Where people "have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved", God will send a working of error. People often ask whether anyone "gets a second chance" after the rapture. The answer here is clear. No! Nothing is said here about those who have never heard the truth. But those who have heard it and have not received it get no second chance. God Himself steps in, so that they come to believe what is false.

If you, the reader, perish forever, then remember: it is because you did not receive the love of the truth. Yes, God is love, and you would not believe Him. You may ask: if I am saved, is that reason stated just as plainly? It is: "God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." So all supposed merit is taken away from man.

The apostle then gives the moral reason for so stern a judgment. God's sending a working of error is judicial hardening. Satan follows with his deceptive miracles of power to drag all its followers down to ruin. It is divine retribution. They renounced the truth and salvation with it; they loved the lie. They must perish. Those God chooses in that day escape by His grace alone, as all His chosen do in any day.

Notice how just all God's dealings with men are. The people who fall prey to all this deceit of unrighteousness are exactly those who heard the truth and did not love it. Not loving the truth, they did not believe it; instead they had pleasure in unrighteousness. And now the deceit of unrighteousness captures them; they believe the lie, and they all fall under the judgment of God. Once God sent them the truth: men preached the gospel in their hearing "by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven" (1 Peter 1:12). Now God sends them a strong delusion.

At times God gives people what their hearts really want… If people will not have the truth when it is put before them, they will certainly have a lie. If they will not have Christ, they will have Satan; if they will not have heaven, they will have hell. Will the unbelieving mind find fault with this? Before it does, let it prove that everyone dealt with in this way has fully met their responsibilities.

As faith in Christ is the free gift of God in grace, so will belief in Antichrist be His work in judgment. Those who resist the one must come under the other. They may resist God now, but they will not be allowed to resist Him then. He has said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever."

God sent His beloved Son, the faithful witness, and men rejected Him. So, in just retribution, they will receive a false witness. They refused the truth, so now they will believe a lie. They saw no beauty in the true Christ, so they will marvel at a false one… The fact is, that God has given His truth not to amuse the intellect, but to win the heart; not to exalt man, but for the glory of Christ. There is reason to fear that many still trifle with God's truth. They talk about it, raise questions about it, but do not receive it in the love of it.

A more fearful delusion followed by a heavier judgment will come on Christendom, and for the same reason, because they will not hear. In the past time God called by judgment and by mercy. Now He calls by mercy alone; the message sent is God's love and free salvation… With Israel the wording is more negative (though just as fatal): their heart is made dull, so they will not turn and be healed. With Christendom it is more positive: not only are they unable to see the truth, they positively accept a lie.

Where men "refused to love the truth and so be saved", God will send a working of error. Many ask whether people "get a second chance" after the rapture. The clear answer is given here. No! Nothing here is said about those who have never heard the truth. But for anyone who has had it put before them and has not received it, there is no "second chance". God Himself will step in, so that they are conditioned to believe what is false.

Up to now God has sent them His message of strong comfort and richest grace, so that they all might be saved. But then — what a dreadful prospect for everyone who keeps refusing the gospel! … Now God is begging you to be saved. But if you make light of the invitations of His grace, you do not know how soon you may be allowed to fall under "strong delusion," which ends in complete ruin.

"Damned" in the Authorised Version is a false rendering. But the result of being "judged" is damnation, because only unbelievers come into judgment. That is why the Psalmist pleads, "Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you." Salvation is by grace through faith. God has already pardoned the believer. He has also condemned sin in the flesh by Christ as a sacrifice for sin. So there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

God punishes them for not believing the gospel, which they must have known. He punishes them for not loving the truth, which could have saved them. They are not judged for ignorance, like people who never heard. They are apostates — judged for giving up what they once professed to accept as the truth. God's gospel leads to God's Christ; their gospel leads to antichrist... Truth that is not loved is sure to become distasteful and opposed.

Those who will fall prey to all this deceit of unrighteousness are the very people who heard the truth and did not love it. They did not love it, so they did not believe it. Instead they had pleasure in unrighteousness. Now the deceit of unrighteousness captures them. They believe the lie, and they all fall under the judgment of God. Once God sent them the truth... Now God sends them a strong delusion. He does for them what He once had to do for rebellious Israel, when He "blinded their eyes and hardened their heart." Is God unrighteous in acting this way? On the contrary; He is acting in righteousness of the strictest and most exact kind.

Men may say they have a right to believe what they please, but it is false. We have a right to believe only what is right. Those who refuse truth on purpose and choose falsehood are plainly the people who "have pleasure in unrighteousness." Grace may bear long with them, but the end must come in judgment.

The apostle then gives the moral reason for so stern a judgment... God's sending a working of error is judicial hardening. Satan follows with his deceiving marvels of power to drag down all his followers to ruin. It is divine retribution. They renounced the truth and salvation with it; they loved the lie. They must perish. The elect of that day escape solely by divine grace, as is true of all the elect in any day.

People often ask whether they "get a second chance" after the rapture. This gives the clear answer. No! Nothing here is said about those who have never heard the truth. But take any to whom it has been presented, and who have not received it. Not only will they "not get a second chance" — God Himself will step in, so that they are conditioned to believe what is false.

Suppose you have not believed God in the day of the Holy Spirit. Suppose you have not believed the gospel now, in the day when God is telling of His love... Then every possible influence and power under heaven, out of hell, and on the earth will be against you. Do you suppose you will believe the truth then? ... Far better to have the truth now. Christ is the truth.